From springbok biltong and A380 landings to navigating the world solo as a woman, this episode packs in travel chaos, comedy, and a whole lot of smart advice.

We’re back with a packed episode featuring travel misadventures, smart gear upgrades, some very real talk about traveling as a woman, and a jaw-dropping fare from Vancouver to Aruba that’s making us rethink our summer plans.

• 🛫 Marty’s VIP behind-the-scenes tour of United Airlines’ Denver ramp (yes, there’s an A380 involved)

• ✈️ What really happens when your budget flight turns out way better than expected

• 🧍‍♀️ Tracy joins us to talk solo female travel, hostel hacks, and why Vietnam tops her list

• 🧳 The truth about backpacks, broken roller wheels, and what travel gear is actually worth your money

• 🔄 Why you might want to stop planning every second of your trip

Vancouver → Aruba | Summer 2026 | ~$500 USD roundtrip
☀️ Book a tropical escape from the Pacific Northwest to the Caribbean with this long-range fare.
✔️ 10-hour journey
✔️ Operated by United (with Air Canada likely to follow)
✔️ Perfect for beating the summer fog or Canadian winter in advance

📌 Tip: Watch for this to go live on both airlines as schedules expand!

Tracy’s been everywhere — from high school in Singapore to backpacking Southeast Asia to living in China. She joined us to talk:

• What it’s really like traveling solo as a woman

• How safety strategies change based on country, community, and culture

• Why having your own private room at a hostel can be worth every cent

• How not to get stuck zipping and unzipping your top-loading backpack 12 times a day

• Why you should leave room in your itinerary to get lost (literally)

“Travel doesn’t last forever—stop trying to micromanage it like it does.” – Tracy

Here’s what we learned (the hard way) about packing gear:

• 💼 Backpacks with full zippers > top-loaders

• 🛞 Cheap $15 suitcases may last one trip (but you better be going home)

• 🔒 A door lock or travel latch for solo travelers adds real peace of mind

• 🎒 You don’t need to prove anything. Wheels are your friend.

Want the links? Find everything in our Packing Picks roundup [Add affiliate or blog link]

Matt and Marty get into:

• Why AirTags are essential gear, even for diaper bags and strollers

• What happens when your six bags and toddler don’t fit in one car

• The hidden dangers of gate-checking your gear with expensive tech inside

• Marty’s photobomb in a Vietnamese airline commercial (you have to hear it to believe it)

Whether it’s a free checked bag promo on Frontier, a canceled flight, or a last-minute mac and cheese in Tennessee, every journey is different. As Tracy puts it, “Don’t panic when you get lost. That’s half the fun.”

• 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @landingslayovers

• 💌 Join the crew at brieflydistracted.com/landingsandlayovers

• 🌍 Share the pod, write a review, and help more travelers discover smarter ways to wander.

#SoloTravel #WomenWhoTravel #BudgetTravelTips #VietnamTravel #AirlineDeals #LandingsAndLayovers #TravelHacks #HostelSafety #PackingTips #NotiflyrFare

From missed connections in Rome to surprise upgrades and baby sleep battles at 30,000 feet, this episode is a wild ride. Plus, our guest shares travel hacks that could shave serious money off your next big trip.

After a short hiatus, we're back with an episode that’s part travel therapy, part fare-hunter's dream, and 100% relatable if you’ve ever had a flight—or an entire trip—go sideways.

Highlights include:

• Marty’s robotic wheelchair fiasco in Rome (and the business class seats that got away)

• Matthew’s “just one more fight with the gate agents” journey to Boston, Philly, and back with a toddler

• How one wrong gate, a missing stroller, and a helpful gate agent turned stress into success

• Marty’s random encounter with The Points Guy himself (yes, really!)

• A killer fare to Southeast Asia—starting at $700 round trip

• Our guest Matthew Tasker’s pro tips on slashing train costs in London, navigating Asia like a local, and why high-speed rail might be your new favorite way to travel

Thanks to our sponsor Notiflyr.com, we’re spotlighting a stunner:
LAX, NYC, BOS, SFO → Bangkok, Hanoi, KL, and more — $700–800 round trip on Korean Air.
✔️ Full service
✔️ Stop in Seoul
✔️ Free transit tour if you’ve got a long layover
✔️ Average savings: $300
If you're even thinking about Asia, jump on this one. [Add affiliate link]

Travel hacker. Videographer. 52 countries and counting.
Matthew joins us from the South of France to share:

• How to actually cut your Heathrow-to-London train cost in half

• Why he ditched the idea of checked bags forever (and how to trick budget airlines with a convertible backpack)

• Why Japan still wins as his top destination, and how to get there cheaper than you think

• The secret to finding better fares: don't just change your dates, change your departure city

• Apps that make his travels smoother (and his daughter’s plane spotting even more fun)
  → Bonus: Flighty, Flightradar24, and the plug adapter we didn’t know we needed.

✔️ Convertible Backpack – Roller + backpack hybrid
✔️ Pass-through USB charger – One outlet, multiple devices
✔️ Flighty (iOS) – Real-time flight tracking meets trip planning
✔️ Flightradar24 – Find that plane overhead before your toddler asks

→ Find all these in our Packing Picks gear list [Insert real link]

🛤️ Hack your Heathrow commute
Stop at Hatton Cross or Hayes & Harlington, tap out/in, and save a few pounds instantly.

🚆 Rail > Air (sometimes)
If the train is cheaper, faster, and less stressful—ride it. Especially in France, Japan, and South Korea.

🌐 Be flexible
Change not just your dates and destination, but your origin city to unlock cheaper fares.

✈️ Don’t underestimate Asia
With increased competition from airlines like Way and Chinese carriers, you can now fly from Europe to Asia for less than $300 one-way.

• Got a travel hack? Slide into our DMs @landingslayovers

• Enjoyed the episode? Leave a review—it helps more folks find us.

• Want more fare drops? Sign up at Notiflyr.com

#TravelHacks #BudgetTravel #WheelchairFail #AsiaFlights #LandingsAndLayovers #FlightyApp #HighSpeedRail #NotiflyrDeal #ParentingOnPlanes #PointsGuySighting